Every Pour Counts: The Data Behind a More Profitable Taproom

Beer loss is often accepted as the cost of doing business, but it could be one of your biggest taproom profit opportunities. 

After tracking beer loss in spreadsheets, Brent Reynard discovered his brewery was losing nearly 21% of draft beer revenue every month through foam, temperature issues, over-pouring, and operational blind spots. 

Rather than accept it as the cost of doing business, he built Draft Control - software designed to track beer loss, uncover root causes, and help breweries make better financial decisions. 

In this episode we explore how better data can reduce waste, improve margins, and replace gut feel with measurable profitability.

Key Takeaways

1. Why draft beer loss may be far larger and more expensive than most owners realize
2. How Brent reduced draft loss from roughly 20% to single digits using visibility, accountability, and operational changes
3. The “profit per day” metric and how to evaluate draft lines based on both sales velocity and profitability
4. Why the highest-priced beer isn’t always the most profitable beer
5. How data-driven decisions around pours, pricing, and inventory can create a stronger, more profitable taproom

Resources

• Connect with Brent, brent@draftcontrol.net
• Get the Brewery Profit Brief - tips, tactics and strategies to run a more profitable beer business

This episode is brought to you by Secret Hopper. One of the hardest things in the beer business is seeing your business through your customer’s eyes. Secret Hopper helps breweries uncover what guests actually experience from first impressions and service to cleanliness, atmosphere, and whether guests are likely to come back. Their mystery shopping and customer feedback tools give you practical insights and action steps to improve the guest experience and drive repeat visits. To l

Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.